Wire-fastener.



J. LIFE.

WIRE FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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JACOB LIFE, OF RIDGEVILLE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 LEWIS LIFE,OF RIDGEVILLE, INDIANA.

WIRE-FASTENER.

Application filed May 14, 1909.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB LIFE, a citizen of the United States, residingat Ridgeville, in the county of Randolph, State of Indiana, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in ire-Fasteners; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in fence posts, and moreparticularly to the concrete type.

It has for its object the provision of an improved form of fastenerwhich is adapted to engage with a fence post and suitably secure a wirethereto.

With the above and other objects in view as will more fully hereinafterappear, the present invention consists in certain novel details ofconstruction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointedout in the appended claim. It being understood that various changes inthe form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be madewithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification :Figure 1is a front elevation of a post and showing my improved device appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through a post andshowing my device in side elevation and applied to said post. Fig. 3 isa plan view of a post and showing the outer ends of the wire fasteners.Fig. 4 is a detailed side elevation of the fastener.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout.

It is well known with most concrete fence posts new in use the fasteningmembers are either driven into the concrete or a wooden strip isembedded into the concrete to receive the fasteners. This constructionhas many disadvantages, chief among which is that it is difficult toremove the fasteners when necessary to renew the fence wires. Thepresent invention therefore aims to remedy Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 31, 191.0.

Serial No. 495,937.

these defects by providing a post wherein the fasteners may be readilyattached and detached.

As shown in the drawings the post is designated in general by thenumeral 5 and is shown to be of concrete or like material. is to beunderstood, however, that I am not to be limited to this specificmaterial, since from what will appear later it will be understood howthe post can be of any material suitable for the purpose. The contour ofthe post is shown to correspond substantially to a truncated pyramidhaving an enlarged base, which is designed to be embedded in the groundas shown in the drawings.

Disposed to one side of the vertical center of the post is a verticalopening 7. This opening extends from the upper base 8 of the post to apoint adjacent the lower base 6, and as shown in Fig. 3 is substantiallyrectangular in contour.

By referring now to Fig. 2 it will be seen that a plurality of openings9 are formed in one face of the post and extend inwardly horizontallyand terminate in the opening 7. As shown in the drawings these openingsare spaced apart and lie in a vertical plane, and are adapted to receivethe fastener members- Each of the latter is preferably formed of asingle piece of steel wire or the like as shown and bent into a U shapeas shown at 10. Each fastener is of a length somewhat greater than thedistance between the inner side wall of the opening 7 and outer end ofthe horizontal opening 9, so that when it is secured in place with theterminals of its limbs 11 and 12, bearing on the inner side wall of theopening 7, its opposite end will project slightly beyond the face of thepost and present an opening for the reception of the fence wire 13. Inorder that the fasteners may be held against displacement within theopening 9, their limbs 11 and 12 are provided adjacent their intermediate portions with outwardly extending off-sets 14: and 15. Theseoff-sets constitute shoulders which are adapted to bear on the frontwall of the opening 7. It is to be understood that the limbs 11 and 12between their terminals and the off-set portions 14 and 15 are spacedapart for a distance somewhat greater than the width of the opening 9,so that in order to insert the fastener into the opening 9 it will benecessary to compress, or to bring the limbs 11 and 12 into closeengagement. In this position they are driven through the horizontalopening 9 until the off-sets have cleared the inner ends of theopenings, when, owing to the resiliency of the fasteners the arms willspring apart and the off-sets or shoulders let and 15 bear on the frontside of the opening 7. lVhen the parts are in this position it will beseen that they will be firmly held against displacement by virtue of theshoulders 14 and 15. lVhen it is necessary to disengage the fasteners inorder to renew the wires, all that will be necessary to dois to compressthe fasteners by means of a suitable implement which may be drivenbetween one of their limbs and the wall of the opening 9.

It is clear that the free extremities of the fastener being arranged inparallelism engage the end walls of the slots when the fastener is beinginserted in the post and permit of the fastener being readily driveninto position with a hammer or similar tool without the operator beingcompelled to hold the fastener steady with one hand while any I vudriving the fastener as is necessary where the fastener is V shaped inoutline.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a device which iscomparatively simple in structure and inexpensive to manufacture,embodying few parts and that the parts may be operated with little or nodifliculty.

Having thus described my invention what is claimed as new, is

The combination with a fence post having an interior longitudinalrecess, and having a slot leading outwardly from said recess and openingthrough the wall of the post, of a resilient wire staple the legs ofwhich are parallel and engage the end walls of said slot, said legsbeing bent at right angles for a portion of their length and formingshoulders that snugly engage the front walls of said recess, and arethence extended ap proximately parallel and disposed in said recess.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

JACOB LIFE. lVitnesses:

AMBROSE VANNOTE, WILLIAM B. LIFE.

